Falling For The Demon Wolf-Chapter 58: His Mark

Zain

The mark was glowing.

Faint but steady, like a dying ember that refused to be extinguished. It pulsed beneath her skin, right where my teeth had pierced her, and every throb of light felt like a reminder of the choice I had made.

No—not my choice.

Maren’s.

She had burst into the room that night with urgency etched into every line of her face. "She won’t survive the fever," she’d said, pushing aside herbs and ice packs like they were child’s toys. "Not unless you stabilize her the old way."

I knew what she meant before she even said it. The bond. The mark.

A part of me recoiled at the thought. Marking someone unconscious? Violating that sacred rite without consent? But I looked at Violet—thrashing, burning up, slipping further away with every second—and something in me snapped.

I couldn’t let her go.

Not her.

"Do it," I had told her. And I’d done it.

Now, hours later, I sat at the edge of her bed, my head in my hands, heart pounding like a war drum. The room was quiet except for the steady dripping of melting ice and the faint rustle of sheets as she stirred. Maren was asleep on the chair, exhausted after tending to her for what felt like days without rest.

I hadn’t moved from Violet’s side.

Not when she whimpered.

Not when her temperature spiked again.

And especially not when she cried out my name in her sleep.

It shattered me.

Every. Single. Time.

The bond was forming fast—too fast. It was raw and incomplete, like a half-drawn blade. I could feel her emotions bleeding into me now, sometimes clear as glass, sometimes muddled and disorienting. There were flashes of confusion, panic... betrayal.

And worse: pain.

So much pain.

I swallowed hard and looked down at her. Her skin had lost that fiery flush but still held a sheen of sweat. The mark was faint now, just a shimmer of silver under her jaw. I reached out and gently brushed her cheek with my thumb. She flinched.

My hand stilled.

"Violet," I whispered, more to myself than to her. "You have to come back. I didn’t mean for it to happen like this."

But it had.

And I couldn’t undo it.

I leaned back in the chair and let my head fall against the wall. The memory of her scream when the rogues took her was still carved into my bones. I’d failed her then. And now I’d done something irreversible—something sacred—without her say.

The shame burned hotter than the fever ever had.

A knock sounded at the door, soft and cautious. I didn’t bother looking.

"Zain?" came Rhys’s voice, muffled. "Everything okay in there?"

"No," I said flatly. "But she’s alive."

He didn’t reply. After a pause, his footsteps retreated.

I exhaled slowly and turned my attention back to her. Her breathing had evened out some, and though her eyelids fluttered now and then, she remained unconscious. Dreaming, maybe.

I wondered if she could feel me through the bond the way I felt her. If she could hear my thoughts bleeding into hers—how sorry I was, how helpless I felt, how angry I was that this was the only way to keep her here.

"You’re going to hate me for this," I murmured, pressing my forehead against the back of her hand. "But I’d do it again. I’d do it again if it means you’ll open your damn eyes."

Suddenly, her hand twitched in mine.

I froze.

"Violet?"

Her brow creased. A low, almost inaudible sound left her lips. Then a shudder rolled through her body. Her head turned slightly on the pillow, and her breathing quickened.

She was waking up.

Maren stirred, rubbing her eyes. "The mark must be anchoring her now," she muttered, moving to the bed. "She’s close, Zain."

Close.

I didn’t dare blink.

"Come on," I whispered, gripping her hand tighter. "Come back. You’re stronger than this."

Her lips parted. Her chest rose and fell faster now, almost like she was gasping for air. Then—

Her eyes flew open.

Not fully—but just enough.

She blinked rapidly, dazed and disoriented. Her gaze found mine, glassy and unfocused.

"Zain..." she croaked.

I almost collapsed from the force of relief that hit me. "I’m here," I breathed, brushing her damp hair back from her forehead. "I’m right here, little wolf."

She opened her mouth to speak again but winced as pain sliced through her body. Her fingers clutched mine, trembling.

"I... I felt you," she whispered. "You... marked me."

My heart stopped.

"I didn’t want—" I started, but her eyes locked on mine, sharp now, piercing.

"You marked me," she said again. Not accusatory. Not broken. Just... stunned.

I hesitated. "Maren said it was the only way."

Violet’s gaze flicked to Maren, then back to me. "And you believed her?"

"She saved your life."

"You still did it."

Silence fell between us.

Then, quietly, she said, "It burns."

"I know," I said. "I feel it too."

Her jaw clenched. She closed her eyes, exhaling shakily.

"I saw the wolf," she whispered. "Golden. She said I’m... moonborn."

Maren drew in a sharp breath beside me, but I couldn’t look away from Violet.

Moonborn.

I had suspected, but hearing her say it—confirm it—it felt like the entire world shifted beneath my feet.

"What else did she say?" I asked carefully.

Violet’s lashes fluttered. "That it’s awakening. Whatever ’it’ is."

Maren nodded slowly. "That’s why the fever was so intense. The bond didn’t just save her—it triggered the bloodline."

Violet’s eyes opened again. She looked at me—not angry, not grateful, but changed.

"You’ve tied yourself to something ancient," she said quietly. "You sure you’re ready for that, Alpha?"

I smiled faintly.

"Are you?"

Her eyes didn’t waver.

"No," she said. "But I think I’m done running."

The words landed like thunder, low and heavy in my chest.

I studied her face—pale, eyes dull with exhaustion, but her spirit... it burned. Not like before, not with defiance or rebellion, but with something older. Wiser. Like she’d crossed some invisible threshold, left the girl I first met behind, and stepped into something... more.

A stillness settled between us.

Not the awkward kind, nor the tense kind.

The sacred kind.

Violet wasn’t just waking up from a fever. She was waking up to herself. To what she was. Moonborn. Marked. Chosen.

"I don’t want to be your prisoner," she said after a while, her voice hoarse.

"You’re not," I said quietly. "Not anymore."

She gave me a look—one that said she didn’t believe me, not entirely. And I didn’t blame her. Trust wasn’t something she handed out freely. Not after everything.

"You’re still angry," I murmured, running a hand through my hair. "I get it."

"I’m not angry," she said after a beat. "I’m tired. I’m scared. I’m... changed." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

She touched the place where the mark glowed faintly beneath her skin. "And you are, too."

I nodded, unable to speak. Because she was right. The bond had changed me. Not just in the spiritual sense—but in the core of who I was.

There was no undoing it now.

A soft knock interrupted us again. This time, Maren went to the door.

Cian peeked in, his expression grim. "Zain," he said. "You need to come see this. Now."

My jaw tensed. "What is it?"

"It’s Jade."

I stood immediately, all the warmth in the room vanishing like a snuffed candle. "What happened?"

"She’s not in her room," he said. "And neither is Gerald."

Maren cursed under her breath.

I felt Violet tense behind me.

"What do you mean she’s not in her room?" I asked, voice low.

"She broke the latch on the window. From the inside," Rhys said. "She’s gone."

I turned back to Violet. She looked at me, concern shadowing her features. "Jade? My sister? She was here?"

"She came to find me," I said slowly, mind racing. "I sent her back. She wasn’t supposed to—"

"What are you talking about? What do you mean Jade is here? How long has she been here?" Violet murmured, trying to sit up. "She wouldn’t have listened."

"Violet please hold on, you need your rest." I tried to calm her down, seeing that she just woke up.

"She is my sister! And now she’s lost! What do you wan by I should calm down?" Violet panicked, her voice sounding stronger.

"You’re still weak—"

"I’m not staying behind."

I didn’t like it. Every instinct screamed to keep her safe, lock her away somewhere she couldn’t bleed again. But I looked into her eyes and saw steel.

I had no right to cage her—not now.

I turned to Cian. "Prep the southern patrol. I want eyes in every direction. If she’s gone looking for rogues—"

"And violet, one more thing." I said turning to meet her gaze.

"What’s wrong?" She asked, her eyes jumping from me to Cian.

"Jade- she’s fated to my Gamma."

"What do you mean? My sister is a human."

"Yes but when seems like the moon goddess is playing tricks on us." I murmured. "She’s Rhys fated mate.